The Montreal Canadiens are listening on their rentals, and their desire to make hockey trades
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Hold Outs, Opt Ins, and Potential Trades episode, on Montreal Canadiens not moving someone if they don’t get what they really want, and their interest in making a hockey trade.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Bukauskas: “It’s kind have come off the wagon a little bit here now for the Canadians. Lost eight of nine, they’re six points back. They lost both their home games here over Super Bowl weekend, the two matinee affairs.
Did you see Jake Evans quotes after the loss to Tampa Sunday. Almost speaking in past tense. ‘It’s been an honor’ when asked about just his time playing for Montreal, the only organization that he’s known. And, of course, the questions coming up, because he’s going to be UFA at the end of this year. He doesn’t have a new contract yet.
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Friedman: “Yeah, there’s, there’s a couple of guys. So I had one player who, he told me, I could use the situation, but not his name. He told me, and this is a player who doesn’t have a contract for next year. He told me he thinks he’s going to get traded over the Four Nations. He’s not playing in them. He’s like Evans. He’s no contract next year, but not playing. He thinks he’s getting traded over this break.
I guess some players have been told, I don’t know by their teams or their agents or who it is, but they think there’s going to be action. And he said that he walked out of his dressing room after their last game, and they closed at home, and he said it was very bittersweet. He said him and some guys were looking at each other like, is this it. You know, the players don’t return to practice until the 18th, right? So they have a week off. And there certainly is that feeling around there that some guys will not return to where they are.
But it was, it was kind of jarring to read Evans quotes. You know, one of the things is, a couple different things here. Number one, Montreal has shown in the past that they won’t deal guys just for anything. Like last year, I heard that they set a price for David Savard, and it never really got there. And so they just said, ‘Look, we’re not we’re not doing that.’
And Brian Burke always had that kind of philosophy that unless you’re really doing someone a favor, you have to set a price and stick to that price, because if not, you’ll get the reputation that if people wait, they can out wait you, and you’ll buckle under the pressure.
And you know, so far from Kent Hughes, Kent Hughes body of work, there’s a little bit of that. There’s a little bit of we set the price, and if you don’t meet the price, we’re not going to move you. And he’s got a big price on Evans, probably like, I think a second-round pick, I think is what he’d like to get.
And I think the same goes for Armia. And there’s a few teams out there. Army doesn’t get the same amount of attention, but there’s a few teams out there looking at him.
And you know, the other thing too, I think about Montreal is, I think we’re all focusing on Montreal’s rentals, but I think they’re very interested in making hockey trades. I think Montreal would like to do a little bit more. Maybe add a more impact player, but that obviously isn’t for a draft pick. That’s probably taking something valuable, either off their prospect pool, not Demidov or anything like that, or off their roster.
You know, I think Montreal, at this time of year, you focus on Evans, you focus on Armia, you focus on Savard, because they’re those kinds of guys that are kind of at the forefront.
I think Montreal is looking bigger too. It may not happen, but I think they’re interested. I think they’re interested in bigger hockey trades that they think can make them better if they find a match.
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So I think also, by the way, in Evans case, you look at it, he was on a great tear. And since New Year’s Eve, I think he’s played 19 games, including New Year’s Eve. I think he’s got four points. I think he’s got a goal in three assists in 19 games. And I would bet that just the contract situation is taking its toll on him too. I, how could it not? I think you’re only human if that kind of thing is affecting you.
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